


As the Pale Morning Sings of Forgotten Things

by hayj



Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-06 00:25:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12805587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hayj/pseuds/hayj
Summary: Romeo sent me a pic prompt of a little girl a while back along with the caption "Who are you, Mr? My daddy will kill you if you try any funny business." I had just finished re-reading "And We Can Just Walk Away" by Hithelleth (One of my favorites) and hoped that I could combine the two and come up with something legible.





	As the Pale Morning Sings of Forgotten Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hithelleth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hithelleth/gifts), [romeokijai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeokijai/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Or We Can Just Walk Away](https://archiveofourown.org/works/777927) by [hithelleth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hithelleth/pseuds/hithelleth). 



Miles had learned the hard way over the years that a sob story about a father looking for his long lost daughter got him much further along than a man who could be possibly be a bounty hunter looking for a young defenseless woman.

 

Defenseless his ass, he snorted.

 

There was only one way and one way only that Bass could have escaped from his cell and then promptly disappeared through the secret passages and tunnels that only the two of them knew about.  

 

Charlie.

 

What still puzzled him all these years later was why.

 

Rachel had refused to believe that Charlie had had anything to do with it. That she hadn’t killed that guard taking the keys off him in order to get to Monroe. But facts were facts. They were the only two missing, and Bass, talented as he was, couldn’t have gotten out of wrist and ankle cuffs by sheer force of will.

 

He’d left the rebels on their own and spent the first year tracking down every lead, every whisper of a sighting, until he’d given up, realizing that they were either dead or didn’t want to be found. When he’d returned, it was to find the Nano defeated, Rachel dead and Nora gone.

 

So, raiding the hidden larders that had been left behind in Philly, he climbed back on his horse and headed west. He had considered south and north as well, but figured that straight ahead was the most likely.

 

Every town and every shit hole, he stopped and asked. Had anyone seen a woman, honey gold hair, early twenties, looked like she knew how to take care of herself, possibly in the company of a man about his age who looked even more dangerous.

 

Occasionally, he greased the right palm and got lucky. Most times he only scared people off. That was when he changed his story. As the years went by though, people's memories faded. He still asked the same questions, but got fewer answers.

 

Lately, he’d been considering calling it quits. It had been ten years after all. Ten years of being on the road, of having nothing to call his own. He was nearly convinced they were dead and he’d been on a fool's errand all these years.

 

Until, he’d made his way into this small village at the bottom of the Cascade mountains.

 

Yes, the woman at the general store had told him. There was a couple matching those descriptions living a ways up the mountain along with their daughter.

 

“A baby?” Miles had queried with a frown on his face.

 

The woman nodded. “A little girl. I reckon Lottie's about eight now. Cute as bug. Looks just like her mama.”

 

Getting directions from the woman, Miles had thanked her and been on his way. Taking his time, he meandered up the mountain path, lost in his own thoughts. Charlie and Bass together? WIth a kid?

 

He snorted louder this time, startling the horse.

 

Coming upon the cabin, just where the woman told him it would be, Miles took a moment to look at the structure. It was nothing fancy, but it looked sturdy, and by the looks of it, the owners were adding an addition on. Cords of firewood lay nearby in straight lines, more stacked up on the porch where rag rugs hung on the railing, drying from their recent wash.

 

Dismounting, he tied his horse up to a nearby tree, and made his way up the porch to knock on the door. Waiting a few moments for someone to answer, he had just turned to go see if someone were out back when the door cracked open slightly.

 

Turning, he saw no one so let his eyes travel lower. There, even with the door knob, was a little girl that looked like a miniature version of Charlie.  

 

“Who are you?” she asked, looking up at him distrustfully.

 

Knocking the hat he was wearing back on his head, Miles settled his hands on his hips. “My name’s Miles and I’m looking for my family. Are your mom and dad around?”

 

The little girl looked him up and down. “Stay here, and no funny business. My daddy’ll kill you if you try something stupid.”

 

Miles rubbed a hand over his mouth as he attempted to smother his grin. “Yes ma’am.”

 

Giving him one last look, the little girl disappeared into the house. 

 

A minute or two later the little girl opened the door once again as Bass wiped his hands off on a rag. “Can I help you, Mister?” Bass asked before looking up, his face blanching. “Miles?”

 

“Hey Bass,” Miles replied, scuffing his feet on the rough hewn porch. “Long time no see.”

 

“What are you doing here? The war's been over for years. Surely there’s no longer a bounty on my head,” Bass asked, as he pushed the little girl behind him.

 

Miles couldn’t help but watch as she hooked her fingers in his belt loops and peeked around his hips.

 

“Nope. No bounty, Bass. I’m just looking for, Charlie. Been looking for the both of you since the day you took my niece and disappeared,” he replied hotly, only toning it down because of the little girl.

 

“You have no idea what you're talking about, Miles. Lottie, go find your mama and keep her busy.”

 

With a visible huff and a roll of her eyes, the little girl scampered away.

 

Stepping out onto the porch, Bass pulled the door behind him. “You have no idea what happened that day, Miles, so don’t come in here acting like you do!” He hissed.

 

“Look, Bass, It’s been ten years. I just want to see, Charlie. I was beginning to think you were both dead. If this lead didn’t pan out I was calling it quits. I’m tired and all I want is my family.”

 

Frowning, Bass looked back towards the slightly ajar door. “Look Miles-”

 

“Bass, Lottie said somebody was here,” Charlie called out as she swung the door open, coming to an abrupt stop at the sight of the man in front of her. Pushing Lottie behind her, she reached out, grabbing Bass’ shirt to pull him to her.

 

“Hey, Hey, it’s alright,” Bass soothed her, wrapping one arm around her waist and cupping her cheek with his free hand.

 

“Why is he here, I won’t let him take you back!” She whispered furiously as she kept one hand on Lottie and the other tangled in his shirt.  

 

Miles sighed loudly with a roll of his eyes, putting himself in her line of sight. “I”m not here to take him back, Kid. It’s been ten years. There isn’t anyone left who wants him.”

 

Sucking in a breath at the sound of his voice, Charlie squeezed her eyes shut, a tear sliding down her cheek as she shook in Bass’ arms. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I can’t do this.” Letting go of Bass, she turned and disappeared into the house.

 

“Lottie, this is Miles, he’s family. Why don’t you show him the fish that we caught this morning. He can help you clean them.” Looking at his daughter and then back over his shoulder at Miles with a look that threatened retribution if anything happened to her, he followed Charlie into the house.

 

Lottie pursed her lips as she watched her father disappear and then looked back at this new person, thoroughly unimpressed. “If you’re family, then how come you ain’t never been around?” she asked, hands on her hips as she channeled her father.

 

Miles couldn’t decide if he was irritated or amused. “Because your mom and dad left and didn’t tell me where they were going.”

 

“Probably a reason for that,” she said under her breath with an arch of her brow before spinning on her booted heel and waving at him to follow.

 

He followed her down a path that led to a wide stream where a table made out of a piece of lumber was nailed to a nearby tree. Miles watched as the girl made her way to the edge of the fast moving stream, pulling out a stringer filled with fish.

 

“Watcha got there?” he asked as she tossed them in a nearby bucket and then drug it over to the table.

 

“Perch. You gonna help or not?” she asked, taking two off the line and tossing them on the table. “Filets go in one bucket, the guts in the other. Mama likes them for the garden,” she said removing a small knife from the belt she wore.

 

“So, your mama, is she okay?” Miles asked as he began to clean his fish.

 

Lottie shrugged. “Daddy said that something happened to her a long time ago.”

 

Miles nodded calmly. “Oh yeah? Like what?”

 

Lottie shrugged again, tossing her cleaned fish into the bucket. “Something broke. Up here,” she said, pointing to her head as leaned over to grab another fish. “He said she was sick for a long time, but having me made her better.”

 

Looking at the girl thoughtfully for a moment, Miles went back to cleaning his fish.

 

When they were finished, they hauled the cleaned fish and the remnants back up to the house where Miles discovered his horse missing and his saddle bags on the porch.

 

“Brushed your horse down and gave her some oats. She’s out in the barn with ours,” Bass said by way of explanation when they came in.  

 

“Thanks, I appreciate it. Is there someplace I can clean up?”

 

“Sure. Grab your stuff and follow me.”

 

Picking up his bags, Miles followed Bass, stopping at the sight of Charlie in the kitchen. Her back was to the room as she stood at the sink, looking out the window. With a sigh, he made his way to where Bass stood down the hall.

 

When he emerged, Charlie was at the kitchen table listening to Lottie read aloud from a reader probably older than all of them put together, while Bass sat on the couch in the living room, studying a piece of paper. Setting his bag down by a chair, Miles took a seat across from him.

 

“I was only planning on adding the one room,” Bass said, laying the paper down on the table in front of them, “but if you're not opposed to a little bit of hard work, I think we could manage to get a second room and maybe even another fireplace for that side of the house.

 

Looking at the paper, Miles face scrunched up. “How can you even read this chicken scratch?” he bitched, the two men breaking into chatter like it hadn’t been fifteen years since their last civil conversation.

 

In the kitchen, Charlie’s eyes closed, letting their voices wash over her along with memories from the past. When she stood abruptly, Lottie looked up at her mother calmly. “Mama?”

 

Looking down at her daughter, Charlie smiled softly, stroking the girl's face. “I love you, baby girl.”

 

Lottie smiled at her mother in return. “I love you too, Mama.”

 

“I need to speak to Daddy. You work on your spelling next, okay?”

 

Lottie nodded, picking up her small chalkboard. “Yes, Mama.”

 

Walking into the living room which was separated from the kitchen by half a wall, Charlie stepped out of her daughter's view, waiting for the men to notice her.

 

Miles was the first to see her, his smile fading as he fell quiet.

 

“Where’s Rachel? Why isn’t she with you?” she asked, her eyes never leaving Miles.

 

“Charlie,” Bass said, turning to look at his wife.

 

“I need to know,” she replied in a shaky voice.

 

Miles slowly stood, wiping his hands on his pants. “She’s gone, Charlie.”

 

A visible shudder rocked Charlie's frame. “Dead. You mean she’s dead.”

 

Miles nodded. “I’m sorry.”

 

Standing, Bass walked around the couch, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Charlie,” he said softly.

 

“I’m fine, Bass. I don’t need to be handled,” she hissed lowly so that Lottie wouldn’t hear her.

 

“I know, I know,” Bass whispered, taking her face in his hands as he pressed his forehead against hers.

 

Charlie rested her hands on his hips. “It’s not like last time, Bass. I’m not that person anymore.”

 

“I know. I love you,” he smiled, leaning in to kiss her, pressing her back against the wall, as Miles coughed discreetly. “Ignore him,” Bass said, bumping her nose.

 

“I need to finish up Lottie’s lessons anyway,” she smiled back. “I love you, too, you know.”

 

Bass nodded, “Yeah, I know.”

 

Letting go of him, Charlie made her way back into the kitchen, taking a seat next to Lottie, looking over the words written on the small chalkboard that she handed her.

 

Returning to the couch, Bass motioned Miles to sit back down and they resumed their conversation.

 

They danced around the elephant in the room the rest of the afternoon, Lottie, and Charlie hunting for spring berries to add to their dinner while Miles and Bass took care of the livestock and restocked the house with firewood.

* * *

 

Charlie kept her silence throughout dinner and after as they gathered in the living room for a few hours before putting Lottie to bed.

 

Instead of kicking the girl out of her nearly completed bedroom, Miles volunteered to sleep in the living room. Charlie looked at him thoughtfully before giving him a nod of her head and leading her daughter away. Bass disappeared a few minutes later to help put her to bed, and reemerged by himself.

 

“Charlie decided to head to bed as well. It’s been a long day,” Bass commented as he took his seat.

 

“Mmm,” Miles hummed as he stretched his legs out in front of him, offering a flask to Bass who waved it away.

 

“Haven’t touched the stuff since I found out Charlie was pregnant.”

 

Pulling his arm back, Miles took a drink himself. “So, Bass. What the fuck happened?”

 

Closing his eyes, Bass swallowed thickly with a shake of his head. “It was so long ago,” he replied hoarsely as he gathered his thoughts. “She wanted to kill me.”

 

Miles snorted. “Yeah, I know. So, why didn’t she?”

 

Bass shrugged. “I started talking to her.”

 

“Talking to her. Uh huh,” Miles responded with a disbelieving look.

 

“She wasn’t right, Miles. She’d lost it,” he replied slowly.

 

Miles frowned. “Lottie said earlier that something broke in her head.”  

 

Bass nodded. “You broke her. I fixed her.”

Miles shook his head in denial. “We all broke her.”

 

“Probably,” Bass said, standing. “But that’s my wife, and I love her. You know better than anyone the lengths I’ll go to protect the people I love.” With that, he turned and disappeared down the hall.

* * *

 

Later when the fire burned low and Bass lay sleeping beside her, Charlie left their bed, padding barefoot down the hall to the living room. There, she found Miles, long legs stretched out in front of him as he slept sitting up.

 

Sinking down to the floor next to him, she laid her head on his knee. When she felt his hand shift from his waist to her hair she began to talk.

 

“I saw you that night. The two of you. Kissing. That’s when I knew. When all the pieces fell into place. When I realized that I was yours and Danny was his. And it explained so, so much,” she said with a gasping breath. “And I lost it,” she said with a shake of her head. “I lost me.”

 

As Miles sat listening, his hand had tightened in her hair, while Bass stood in the hallway, his eyes closed as he listened in. He knew all of this. They had talked about it countless times. The fire that had consumed her and then slowly changed from mind numbing hot to a gentle glow, one that made her want to breath again. Their life here and the birth of their daughter, another child on the way. He couldn’t lose that. Wouldn’t lose it just because Miles had suddenly shown up. He wouldn’t lose her to that place again.

 

Rising to her feet, Charlie looked towards the hallway, before looking down at Miles, who had taken her hand in his own. “Bass understands. He always has,” she said softly, squeezing his hand. “I hope you’ll try to as well.”

 

Miles sighed. “I don’t know if I can do that, Charlie.”

 

Charlie rubbed his cheek with the back of her hand. “Yes, you can, or you wouldn’t be here. Your grandchildren need you. Your daughter needs you. Your best friend needs you. Where else are you so needed, Miles?”

 

“Grandchildren?” Miles choked, looking up at her.

 

Charlie nodded. “You can be as happy here as I am if you’ll just let it all go, Miles.” With a sigh, she walked the short distance to the hallway, looking back to see him hunched over, his face buried in his hands. She made a distressed noise, ready to go back to him, when Bass reached out and caught her wrist, pulling her into his arms.

 

“He’s all right, I promise,” he assured her, pushing her hair away from her face as he held her close. “How are you?”

 

Charlie bumped his nose playfully as she relaxed against him, resting her forehead against his cheek. “It finally feels like home.”

 

Bass nodded in reply as he led her to their room, softly shutting the door behind them “Yeah, it does.”

**Author's Note:**

> don't forget to leave a comment :D


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